WASHINGTON, D.C. — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy filmed a cross-country road trip with his family for an unscripted series titled "The Great American Road Trip," to be released ahead of the country's 250th birthday in July 2026. Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General accusing Duffy of violating federal gift and travel rules and requesting an investigation.

The series follows Duffy, his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy and their nine children. The trailer shows the family snowmobiling in the western United States, visiting Philadelphia's historic landmarks, thanking veterans at a diner and enjoying waterslides, and includes a scene hinting at a dramatic emergency-room visit. It features cameos by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, country musicians Kid Rock and John Rich and a Benjamin Franklin reenactor.

Production costs for the series were covered by a nonprofit called The Great American Road Trip Inc., whose public sponsors list includes Toyota, Boeing and United Airlines. The listed sponsors have ties to the Department of Transportation. Questions arose over whether taxpayers had funded the family vacation, and the trailer's release coincided with gas prices that had reached their highest level since July 2022.

"You have everyday Americans who are struggling with the price of gas, struggling with the costs of everyday items, and you have the cabinet secretary announcing that he is going on a trip with his entire family, which appears to have been funded by the industries that his department is overseeing," said Donald Sherman, president of Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington. "If he's saying that this is a work project or that he did work on the project, then taxpayer funds should be paying for it," Sherman said. "And if it's a vacation or some kind of personal trip, then certainly industry should not be paying for it."

Duffy said on X that career ethics and budget officials approved his participation and travel in accordance with federal rules.

Nathaniel Sizemore, a Department of Transportation spokesperson, said, "Regulatory decisions are guided by career safety professionals, the law, and the facts." Sizemore said filming took place during brief stops at which Duffy also conducted official business. "In these brief stops, the Secretary also often conducted additional visits like touring air traffic control towers and assessing port infrastructure," he said. He added, "Like with any other official engagements, the Department covered the flight." Sizemore also said celebrating the country's 250th birthday is part of Duffy's official duties.

Filming took place in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Tennessee, Montana, Wyoming, Florida, South Carolina, Arizona, Louisiana and Massachusetts, occurring in one- to two-day windows over a seven-month period. The nonprofit and the Department of Transportation declined to confirm the exact dates of the filming window.